Craig Albernaz, Clayton McCullough Interviewed For Marlins Managerial Opening

The Marlins interviewed several candidates to be their next manager this week, including Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Earlier this week, Isaac Azout of Fish On First noted that McCullough would be interviewing for the position. As for Albernaz, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported earlier this month that the Marlins were interested in his services, but Jackson’s report is the first to confirm his interview. What’s more, Jackson notes that Albernaz is now “viewed as one of the top candidates” for the position, perhaps due to his time working alongside Marlins POBO Peter Bendix in the Rays organization. Albernaz and McCullough join Tigers bench coach George Lombard as the three candidates known to have interviewed for the job.

McCullough has never been a major league manager, although he has experience managing in the minor leagues with the Blue Jays organization from 2007-14. He has spent the past ten seasons with the Dodgers, first as a minor league field coordinator and more recently as the major league first base coach. McCullough has also been a candidate for several other managerial openings in recent years, having been connected at one point or another to such teams as the Mets, Brewers, Guardians, and Royals. Funnily enough, he interviewed to be the Marlins’ manager just two years ago, a job that ultimately went to Skip Schumaker. It’s worth mentioning that McCullough is also thought to be a contender for the White Sox’s current managerial opening. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score called him “a leading candidate” for the role in September, although his name was noticeably absent from Heyman’s list of “leading candidates” published earlier this week.

Like McCullough, Albernaz is a former catcher who has experience as a minor league manager, minor league field coordinator, and major league coach. From 2006-13, he played eight seasons in the Rays minor league system, and from 2015-19 he worked as a coach, manager, and minor league field coordinator in the Rays organization. His first big league coaching gig came with the Giants, where he worked under Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler, the Giants’ manager at the time. Funnily enough, McCullough has also worked alongside Kapler, when the two were employed in the Dodgers organization. Albernaz took on his current role as the Guardians’ bench coach last November. Before he was hired as Cleveland’s bench coach, he interviewed for the managerial position that ultimately went to Stephen Vogt.

Jackson suggests the Marlins are still in the early stages of their managerial hiring process. They will speak with at least six candidates over video chat before inviting the finalists to attend in-person interviews. It is unclear how many other candidates have had Zoom interviews so far – and who those other candidates might be – but former Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta and Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken are two more names who have been linked to the position in recent weeks.  Former Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez also expressed interest in the gig, although there is no reason to believe his interest was reciprocated.